Amalgamator



(No Model.)

J'. BLLISQN, AMALGAMATUR- No. 497,267. e Patented May 9, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ntntson, or DENVER, COLORADO.

AMALGAMATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,267, dated May 9,1893.

Application tutti July 15, 1892.

' such as will enable others skilled in the art to l detail.

which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the gures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in amalgamators designed for useeither in placer mining or for catching the free mineral as thepulverized ore leaves the stamp-mill.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the class statedwhich shall be simple in construction, economical in cost, reliable,durable and efficient in use. v To these ends the improvement consistsof the features, arrangements and combinations hereinafter described andclaimed and will be fully understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mechanism, partsbeing broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. These two views show themechanism in the form of a small sized hand machine for use byprospectors and others in treating placer material on a limited scale.This construction, may however, be made of any suitable size andoperated by any suitable motor. Fig. 3 is a side view of my improvedamalgamating pan as used in connection with a stamp mill. Fig. 4 is avertical transverse section of the pan in Fig. 5 is a top or plan viewof the same. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hopper, showing the movablescreen in place.

Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts or elementsof the mechanism in the several views let the numeral 5 designateupright bars and 6 transverse connecting bars of a suitable framework.In the upper part of this frame is horizontally journaled afrustum-shaped rotating screen 7 open at both ends. Into the smaller endof this screen is fed the material to be treated from Serial No.440,187. (No model.)

a hopper 8, across the top of which is located a screen or grate 9secured to ashaft 10 journaled in the ends of the hopper and providedwith a crank 12 whereby the coarse material rejected by the screen maybe thrown od at intervals by giving bar a partial rotation outward.Across the lower portion of the hopper is located an inclined chute l0awhich carries the material to the screen 7. From the screen 7 thematerial passes to another hopper 13 located beneath said screen andhaving inclined sides which carry the material to the bottom which is ofcomparatively small area, and provided with an opening controlled by anadjustable slide 13a. Through this opening the material passes to thehorizontally rotating amalgamating pan .l5 below, which is of circularshape and provided with circumferential riies 16, 17, dro., said rifliesoccupying diderent planes, the innermost being the highest, the nextsomewhat lower and so on. In the drawings the pan is shown with tworifes though it may have any desired number which may be found necessaryto catch the mineral. This pan 15 has a suitable bottom framework towhich the rililes are secured. The bottoms of the spaces or compartments18, 19, &c., surrounded by the riftles are highest at the outside, andare provided with copper amalgamating plates. The bottom of theinnermost compartment 18 slopes toward its center-which is its lowestpoint, while the bottom of the outer compartment 19 slopes from riffle17 toward riflie 16. The bottoms of the compartments 18 and 19 arecovered with mercury as indicated by dotted lines.

To the under surface of pan 15 is rigidly secured a vertical shaft 20the lower eXtremity of which enters a suitable socket formed in theframework underneath. To this pivot is secured the beveled pinion 21meshing with another pinion 22 rigidly secured to the shaft 23 journaledin the frame and carrying a pulley 2-.t made fast to its outer extremityand connected with another pulley 25 by means of a belt 26. A sprocketchain and corresponding wheels may be employed instead of the belt andpulleys shown. Pulley 25 is located on a shaft 26 connected with therotating screen '7. The outer extremity of this shaft is provided with acrank 27 for hand use whererco d by the screen 7 and the pan 15 may berotated simultaneously by turning shaft 26.

In the use of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the material to betreated is fed to the hopper through the movable grate 9 and passesthence to the screen 7 which discharges the greater part of the coarseworthless material or gangue which has escaped grate 9, said coarse partpassing out of the larger extremity of the rotating screen which is openfor the purpose. The material which passes through screen 7, which maybe of any desired mesh, passes to the amalgamating pan 15 as beforeexplained, being fed first to the center of compartment 1S, the mercuryin which catches the free mineral while the gangue or sand is carried bythe centrifugal force induced by the pans rotation over the illed withWater which is supplied from a feed pipe 30. The material which passesover lhorizontally rotating amalgamating pan loi cated in a suitableframework, a rotating screen above, a hopper communicating with thescreen, a movable grate at the top of the hopper, and means forsimultaneously impartingto the screen and pan a rotating move- 1 ment,substantially as described.

ritfle 16 passes to compartment 19 in which any remaining free gold iscaught by the mercury, the gangue being then carried over the outerri'file and discharged from the machine.

When the amalgamating pan is used in connection with a stamp mill avertical shaft 2O*L pivoted in a suitable socket at its lower extremitybeneath the pan, passes up through the pan and is connected with thepropelling mechanism composed of gears 21222a and shaft 23L which inthis case are located above, r the pan, the shaft 23a being connectedwith any suitable motor. The material passesfrom the stamp mill througha chute 35 to a funnel shaped hopper 36 secured to the shaft 20, Thematerial passes through this hopper to the center of compartment 18 ofthe pan When the operation is as heretofore described.

It is believed desirable that the bottoms of compartments 18 and 19should be lowest on the inside, as shown in Fig. 4, since the naturaltendency of the mineral under the influence of the rotary movement ofthe pan would be to seek the lowest point of the bottom. Hence when thispart of the pan is innermost this tendency of the mineral acts inopposition to the centrifugal force induced by the pans rotation andthus keeps the mineral away from the outside of the pan and prevents ther possibility of its being carried,over the surrounding riffles andlost.

Having thus described myy invention, what In an amalgamato thecombination of a In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

JOSEPH ELLISON. WVitnesses:

WM. MCCONNELL, G. H. STOVER.

